


Unicrons Favor

by Moviegonewrong



Series: Ground Meets Sky [1]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Animal Sacrifice, Blood and Gore, Crimes & Criminals, Exploration, F/F, F/M, Gods, M/M, Minor Character Death, Multi, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Religion, Religious Conflict, Sacrifice, Spirits, Talking To Dead People, Violence, Virgin Sacrifice, Zombies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:27:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24828319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moviegonewrong/pseuds/Moviegonewrong
Summary: A seeker down on his luck finds help not from Primus but from Unicron, in the form of finding a frame long barried under cybertron's surface.  The Who and Why,  change the seekers perspective on the universe around him.
Relationships: Primus/Unicron/Other(s)
Series: Ground Meets Sky [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1795912
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	1. Help from Invisible Hands

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own transformers or its characters
> 
> English isn't my first language

A seeker sat huddled under an overpass waiting for the acid rain to stop. Wings tucked on his back, tips touching the ground, shook slightly, not because of the storm but in the miserable state he was in. Formerly a beautiful rich black flyer with edges of white and shades of sky blue, all practically faded away from vrons of living on the streets. He sniffled holding back coolant tears at his miserable state and misfortune. 

He was a grown bot, he will not shed tears. The seeker sighed huddling closer to himself to keep warm. No bot here wanted to help another bot, let alone a seeker. 

-whoop whoop- sounded by the edge of the road where he sat further in. He could hear the crunching of sturdy tires and growling of a powerful engine as an enforcer rolled by him and stopped. Transformation sequence sounded before the enforcer gave a sigh and proceeded off the road and onto the dirt and debris where the seeker sat huddled like a lost sparkling. The enforcer was a distinct tarnished silver color that strictly belonged to the city of Ankmor. Each city had its own color scheme for emergency forces.

"Bud. You ok?" The accent was distinctly Ankmor. It was this bots city this seeker had been hiding in. "Look man. Got a bunch of complaints, most of them frame racists, you've got to clear off." The officer said. He didn't want to be rude but he didn't want the seeker getting attacked, he had nothing against flight frames. He kneeled in front of the seeker with a grunting sigh. "Got anywhere to go?"

"No." The seeker seemed to finally speak. The mech, the officer presumed by the build, stared at him with gold hollow optics. As if he had given up on life. The enforcer sighed again, thinking if the options he had. Not many were viable at the time of the solo cycle. The clocks just struck some primus awful hour of the morning, the sun would be shining in several mega cycles and his own shift would be ending with it. 

"Come on mech. I've got a place for you to rest." The officer urged. There was really one place open at every click of a solo cycle, dark and imposing but far more welcoming than the Temple of Primus, Unicron's Forge. He helped the seeker up and down the small hill under the underpass. It was filled with debris from the road as well as any trash bots throw out. It was a sad place for a powerful seeker to wind up. But the looks of said seeker the bot had been out in the streets for a long time. Down on luck or a helping hand. "Here." The officer pulled out a small cube of energon that they were required to carry for such times. 

"Thank you." The seekers lit was smooth but a strange twinge to it. Not Vosian just by the lit of it alone, seemed to be a mix of something else but the enforcer wasn't going to strike up more conversation just to find out. The walk would be a bit long but worth the less data pad work for the enforcer when he was done with his shift. 

Ankmor was a maze of buildings and roads. No coherent layout or thought just the mentality of "if you can fit it, build it." New bots, even visiting dignitaries got lost here often enough that practically every street had a map placed somewhere. The enforcers here were very used to responding to lost bot call that they didn't even bother to rush to them anymore. 

The massive building dubbed Unicron's Forge wasn't hard to miss. It was the only spire, comprised of seventy floors, that stood amongst the three stories as most buildings. It was also the only building that was made of a rust colored metal as well as dark purple glowing crystals. Rumor had it that they were edible crystals but caused bots to go crazy, so no bot dared to steal the free solid energon. The place had a dark heavy feeling around it, the entry gate was no more welcoming than the air. The gate was made of really heavy looking metals with motifs of bots going through the gates of hell. All forms of suffering was depicted, both enforcer and seeker weren't sure if it was a warning to behave or a warning that this would be every bots fate. 

Ignoring the motif the enforcer knocked on the gate with his forearm, it rang loudly but it had a weird sound as if a mech was screaming inside a solid metal box. It made the seekers wings shoot up surprise and then lower in nervously. “Maybe the craziest place, but they welcome everyone who needs shelter. Unlike those snobs at Primuses temple.” 

“Enforcer Barrage! What are you doing out there in this rain?” A welcoming and happy voice greeted them before a hooded figure in all light grey greeted them between the gate bars. Both bots couldn’t tell if it was a femme or mech do the the cloak covering them from helm to ped, even the voice alone didn’t give them much a clue.

“Good Morning,” The enforcer, Barrage, greeted the bot on the other side with a calm tone. He has dropped many of bots off at this place, mostly bots down on their luck and twice a vron, a sacrifice. “Got a mech out here, nowhere to go.”

“I’m sure your Temple of Primus can take him in.” The bot responded starting to move away.

“Gatekeeper!” Barrage semi shouted after the retreating bot so they would stop. “Its a seeker.”

“Well, they definitely won't let that poor mech in.” The Gatekeeper came back, steps shuffled and slow and unlatched the gate before opening it slowly, just enough for the seeker to slip through. “Come then young one. I would like to get out of this acid rain.” The bot ushered the most pathetic looking seeker in and then slammed the gate and locked it. “You’d think Primus Temple would be more welcoming than Unicron's Forge.” Gatekeeper snorted ushering the seeker up massive stairs. 

They were beautifully built, one would think you were walking up to the Temple of Primus with how clean and detailed the steps were. Railing of polished brass metals with etchings of old cybertronian glyphs, that even baffled the smartest of mind of what they said. The stairs themselves were well kept, swept and were made of some strange stone that was smooth. The doors weren’t the same gastly over done like the Temple of Primu’s was. This had a simple black metal circle adhered to the edges of the doors. It was spiky in places, some spikes bigger than others and on the inside sat a large stone sphere. At the center of the sphere one could see an opening, but couldn't actually see inside the place. 

The door creaked open and a black bot poked their helm out before opening it a bit further letting the Seeker slip in at his own pace. "By the Forge! What are you doing out in the rain Flyer!?" The bot was a femme. Her tone was welcoming but her words were clipped with surprise. 

"No where else to go." The seeker replied quietly feeling very much out of his element and rather frightened of what these bots could do to him. He had heard stories.

"Oh. Mech. I'm sorry. Well, Unicrons Forge welcomes you anytime." She placed a clawed servo on his shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "We'll get you situated into one of our visiting rooms. And then I'll get you some energon." She gave a warm smile. "Oh! Where are my manners! My designation is Torrent. I am one of the priestesses here." Her field was welcoming and bubbly. Not at all what he expected from a priestess of Unicron. He expected dower, angry or right of all crazy energon thirsty bots. Instead he received the most warm and sincere welcoming to their temple, for lack of a better word, compared to the temple of Primuses. Who snuffed at him and shut the door in his face plate when he requested a night of salvation. 

"Razorwing." He responded in kind, feeling welcomed for the first time in vrons. The femme gave another charming smile and led him down to the left of the door down a long but warmly light corridor. On the right doors would show up separately, all closed, so he couldn't see what they hid. Seven doors in, they stopped and Torrent stopped and palmed the door lock on the wall. The hiss was quiet and the door rolled smoothly on its hinges showing a small room but big enough to hold a berth, desk and a chair with plenty of room to sprawl on the floor of he wished. 

"Alright Razorwing. This will be your room till you on your peds. I'll let you settle, be right back with some energon. And I'll answer any questions once I get back." She stepped back and left the mech to take everything in and think of any questions he needed answered. 

Razorwing settled down on a berth and sighed in relief. First time in a long time, he felt a berth under his frame, and a roof over his helm. At least one with walls. The chill of outside finally evaporated from his frame and he felt warm and welcomed. The foreboding feeling he felt outside didn't seem to follow him into the place. He felt at peace here. Like everything would go his way if he stayed. Razorwing startled when the door reopened and Torrent came back in.  
He finally looked over the femme that had welcomed him into the Forge of Unicron. 

She was built like a mine worker. Broad shoulders down to her hips. Like some living colom, but the curve inward where her waist was helped her not look like one. Her chassis protrude outward and was blocky like she was built to hold a massive amount of sparklings. She was all a black matt color. It did nothing to help her appear alluring but she was happy so Razoreing wasn't going to judge considering his shoddy paint. 

"Here you go. Warmed up. I added some minerals just in case you haven't been getting enough." She didn't say anything about how she definitely knew he didn't get enough of those. Didn't ask what had happened or ask for why. No questions, just a bright welcoming field. "Any questions?"

"How long am I allowed to stay here?" 

"How ever long you need. No rush. Get back on your peds."

"Harder said than done. No one hires seekers. Not in...uh…" he gestured at her wheels not wishing to sound racist and get thrown out. 

"In wheel territory. Yeah. I see your point." Torrent hummed thinking what his options would be. "How about you rest up for now. Maybe Unicron would give the head priestess a vision on what you could do." She smiled. She sounded so sincere about that. Truly believing Unicron would help, but not like a zealot, where she pushed her faith on him. No demand he make a sacrifice of some sort, or pray for help. Just really wishing for help from a god that Razorwing believed was only about death and destruction. Perhaps he was wrong about the faith, for now he would keep his opinions to himself. "Get some rest. Leave the cube outside your door. Someone will collect it." Torrent gave another smiled and scurried out to let the mech rest. 

\---000---000---000---

Razorwing stared at the dark space he was in. He fell into recharge. He knew that, remembered doing it even watching the desk chair slowly shift into darkness as his frame, finally full and warm, lulled him into recharge. But this stark darkness, with a fine mist and an unknown light source was creeping the frag out of him. Turning in a circle he was greeted with the same view. Dark area, grey and mist. 

"Hello?" He called out confused but ready to flee. He wasn't tied down, free to move about and fly if he wished but he had no clue where he was and how far he could go. 

"They have not been kind." A voice echoed around him. Nearly booming but at the same time so far away. 

"What!?"

"THEY forget!"

"Yeah. Ok. Nope not doing this." He took off flying up but seemed to be going nowhere.

"So fast to flee, yet you are tied." The voice wasn't angry but it snarled the last part before chains shot around his stabilizers and dragged him back down. He fought all the way down. Desperate to not be grounded once more. But the chains held and kept dragging till he hit the ground. His frame didn't hurt but the mist parted around him two more chains wrapped around his wrists and held them down. "How far my faithful have fallen."

"I don't know who you are!" He snarled out. Nearly in tears of anger and fright. A frame came out of the greyish mist. Silver in color, beautiful even in seeker standards and stopped before him and his bent helm. 

"I am your salvation from the pit you have made yourself in. I AM the very one you need to be you once more. Come find me." The voice was now femme in lit but their held an edge to her like that frame wasn't her own. He seemed to receive a com. But it just held numbers. "Burrow deep. I'll be waiting." With that the frame dissolved into the very mist in came from.

\---000---000---000---

Razorwing shot up out of his sleep, frame covered in coolant in his panic throughout that reflux. He cycled air as if coming down from a heavy flight and looked around the room he was in. The chair still sat there mocking him of it's own calmness as his spark thudded in his chassis trying to escape. He took a shaky breath to calm himself, then another and closed his optics as dizziness took over as he slowly sat up. Resting his arms on his knees he lowered his helm to dispel the dizziness. 

"Oh! You're up." A voice brought his optics to power back on and shoot his helm up. "Or you slept like that." Torrent was standing there holding another cube for him but didn't enter his room. "Should I come back?" She asked tilting her helm seeming to sense that he wasn't well. 

"I'm alright." Razorwing swung his legs off the berth and stood up. The berth wasn't high enough for him to actually slide off, it was low enough for him to look slightly funny as he stood up. "Just a bad reflux." 

"Do you wish to speak of it? Head Priestess is good at listening and if you want interpreting." Torrent handed him the cube after stepping in, getting the silent 'please come in' vibe from the mech. "Might help you feel better." She watched him drink his cube seeming to think it over. Torrent knew that not everyone believed in a higher being let alone a priest or a priestess to help them with their daily struggles. 

"Don't think there was a meaning behind it. Felt real enough." Razorwing chuckled feeling foolish of being so worked over a reflux. 

"Come. Well see the Priestesses." Torrent urged seeming to know what this mech needed more than he. 

"I'm sure you have duties to attend to." Razorwing tried to deture the femme from just draggin him out and make him talk about a reflux like he was a sparkling. But it seemed he didn't have much choice for as soon as he finished the cube Torrent pulled him by his servo out the door and the further into the Forge of Unicron. It was surprisingly quiet there. Bots did mill about but they were calm and thoughtful, as if in some meditation. 

"I have no duties but you. I am the guest coordinator and helper." Torrents voice was a hushed whisper as they walked through the hall. Respectful of the quiet space and other bots spaces. The hall suddenly opened up to a massive room with cullums on each side that towered over everybody there. The space was glittering in gold, silvers and Crystal's. Intricate details were carved and painting hung depicting of bots Razorwing didn't even know. This reminded him of primus temple main seating area for the rich and faithful. Both there ped falls echoed in the hall as they made down the open area, past rows of seats that were comfortable and welcoming. There on a lower raised diase sat a femme covered in a black robe with gold lines on the sleeved, hood and at the base were the peds were. She sat in a gold chair, it was simple but comfortable. Gold eyes peared from under the hood as they approached. 

Behind the priestess was even a larger dias. Stairs on each side, four to her two, lead up to a slab that looked like a berth. It was ornate, gleaming with crystals at the base and silver as the top. Razorwing wasn't sure what it was for specifically but he hoped nothing horrid. Behind that was another dias but he saw no way up to it. It was covered by sheer cloth, one could see a chair there but it was hard to tell from this distance what it was made of or what the particular dias was used for. 

"Priestess Torrent, what brings you here?" The voice was quiet, nearly inaudible to their ped falls but Torrent seemed to hear her just fine. She stopped at the base and gave a slight bow before straining up and pulled Razorwing to her side. Razorwing just realized how much Priestess Torrent towered over him. A good three helms bigger than him, surprisingly super gentle. 

"Razorwing here is in need of an audio and understanding my Priestess. A flux has him baffled so he has saught you out."

"Hello Razorwing. Welcome to Unicrons Forge. I hope your stay so far has been pleasant." The head Priestess stood from her chair and shuffled forward slowly before placing both her hands on his shoulders. "Tell me young Flyer. What has you so baffled?" She asked it sincerely. Truly believing a flux could hold clues on what to do. Shrugging off this weirdness and chalking it up to religious beliefs, Razorwing went along with it and explained his dream to the priestess. She stared at him when he was done before pulling away and seemed to think on what he had told her. 

"Come." She said after two breems of silence. She stepped down the two steps from her dias and lead them slowly to a wall lined with portraits. Each different from the next, no coherent pattern but they had to be important if they hung in a temple. "This one?" The priestesses asked of the femme he saw on his flux. She had stopped in front of a portrait secluded in a conor. It was the only one of a Seeker. Sleek silver frame and jutting wings clearly meant to fly the hardest of storms. Optics were a strange purple color and her face was set in a grimst, like you are the one who had caused a misfortune for this femme. 

"Yes." Razorwing said in awe. It was exactly what the femme looked like, the distinct scowl, the optics bore into his as if it was her job to judge. 

"Blackcloud." The head Priestess supplied the name with conviction and worship. "Our first and only flyer that welcomed Unicron into her spark. Her clan flourished under her, from what I know she had a tomb somewhere here on cybertron."

"31° 47' 1.11" N, 35° 13' 28.75" E." Razorwing supplies seeming to know just where it was. This was the numbers, no coordinates, that were given to him in the flux. 

"Perhaps you were destined to be here Razorwing." The Priestesses said calmly, unlike Torrent who was grinning with excitement. "I'll have to pray for more information. Please. Enjoy your stay here." With that she wandered away. 

"Uhh." Razorwing said feeling like he was being pulled in different directions and none that he wanted to go to. He wasn't sure what the frag he wanted out of this place but it sure wasn't digging for a dead frame.


	2. Into the Deep

"Whoah!" A young voice echoed around a massive cavern, if one could call it that. This particular void under cybertron surface could fit a city into it and still have room for occupants to expand. "Massive. Hard to believe we have such pockets under our crust." The voice was excited as well as filled with awe and wonder. It wasn't the first time they came upon a massive cavern under cybertrons crust. 

"Come on, we've seen this before." Another voice grumbled trying to steer a belligerent exploration vehicle down the steep windy path leading down the bottom of the cavern. The vehicle was stopping and going, do to the system unable to detect the road very well. A safety feature that the explorer was starting to really hate even though it had saved his life plenty of times. 

The mech next to him, nearly twenty vrons younger to his fifty, had his head out the window staring into the surprisingly well lit cavern. There was an unnaturally reddish light coming down from somewhere showing off what could possibly be a building built thousands of years ago, or just a formation of crystals that looked like one. This far away the group of explorers, scientists, artists and security detail couldn't tell. 

"Let's just get down this hill and we'll settle on the plateau and rest. I think two days of travel is far enough of a push." Someone else put in their opinion, though this particular gruff voice received no talk back, only grumbles of confirmation. All twenty were excited to give themselves a break from sitting for so long in the transports, but most were tired of travel and ration energon that tasted like nothing. 

State of the art equipment was packed between the group of twenty bot, all hoping for a new discovery. Explorations like this were very normal but time, resources and people consuming, not many went down because of that. But the government urged these explorations down to find lost history and just for the thrill of discovery. This one just happened to be funded by not only Unicrons Forge in Ankmor but also the head Forge in Kalis. Two representatives came with them, one from each forge. A Seeker from Ankmor and a priestess from Kalis. 

The Kalis Priestess, being all black in color, was kind. Which surprised most bots. The group was expecting a crazier bot, with death and chaos all around her. Instead they got a bubbly attractive, minibot that was offering to explain her religious beliefs and help out as best she could. 

The seeker on the other hand looked malnourished and sickly. He kept to himself and seemed to wring his servos together, a nervous habit he clearly picked up. He clearly had been repainted before he went on this trip, smelled of fresh paint wasn't easy to hide. His sleek wings were silver grey in color with a black line at the out edge of the wing. The rest of his frame was that sad silver grey, the only color he had on him, other than the black lines, was two massive blue slashes going up from his modesty panel and wrapping around his midsection to meet in the back by the wing attachments. There was a symbol on his chasie, purple in color, was the infinity symbol with an arrow head coming out of one side and the feathered end coming out the other. 

The Priestess chatted away with the seeker, seeming to be overly respectful towards him, even though those two just met. Which set the cpus of the explorers firing as they tried to figure out what was so important about a mostly starved seeker. The Priestess designated the seeker Hunter, though the seeker was always delayed in answering to the designation. Which was also weird to the group, how anybot didn't know their own designation. 

Once camp was settled and bots settled down to drink their energon one of the explorers scuttled over to the two bot group of Unicron followers. The Priestess looked up and gave a welcoming smile, while the seeker looked away as if uncomfortable. 

"Unicorn welcomes you." The Priestess said ready to stand. The explorer waved her down as he finished off his ration before sitting himself down. 

"Hi, we never got your designation Priestess." The explorer thought it best to strike conversation with the welcoming one first so the seeker could warm up to the explorer. 

"I have yet to get yours either." The Priestess joked back. " I am Priestess Cascade." She finally introduced herself. "And beside me is Hunter Razorwing." She said proudly. 

"So your designation isn't hunter!" The explorer said surprised but with a curiouser tone. The seeker shook his helm in a negative fashion. 

"Hunter is a title within the Forge. It is the one who seeks out what Unicron wants or what an old devotee has requested to be found." Priestess Cascade explained. "Now your designation?"

"Ah! Right. Landslide." The explorer introduced himself. "This is my fifteenth time under our surface." He was all excited. He was considered an expert in this field, especially that it was rare for the cybertronian council rarely okayed these deep under the crust excretions. "I have yet to see a cave this large under the crust! I'm surprised the council oked this, the longer we stay under here the more dangerous it gets for us." Landslide sighed now slightly nervous. 

"The Forge of Unicron is actually paying for all this, hence why I'm here." Cascade schooled Landslide in his current quest.

"Why?" Landslide asked. Wondering if he would get an answer. He's had these religious explorations before, normally for the Temple of Primus, and they were tight lipped and scolded anyone who asked. He hated those trips, it was tense and filled with prayers. That would distract his crew from working. The Priestess turned her helm towards Razorwing wondering if he was actually going to speak to the friendly mech before them. 

"Apparently I have been contacted by an old devotee to find whatever it or who is down here." Razorwing finally spoke up feeling rather stupid now that he said what brought him down here. 

"And how does that work?" Landslide asked. Intrigued by the religious differences between what he believed in and what these two believed in. 

"Recharge fluxes." Razorwing said quietly. 

"It's different for each bot. I had my first contact through a rather weird glowing crystal when I was in my...first frame I believe. Unicron has many ways of speaking to his followers, or future followers." The Priestess butt in quickly. 

"I don't really believe." Razorwing said turning his helm towards the Priestess. "Your forge was welcoming during my time of need.." he tried to explain himself without seeming to be ungrateful. The head priestess in Ankmor was quick to give him a title and had him moved to a more permanent room. He was still tired and still reeling from all of the information he had gotten along telling her about his recharge flux that he couldn't object. 

"That is alright. To each their own." Cascade was not offended by his blunt dismissal of her religion and his clear welcome from Unicron. Landslide hummed thinking it over. He had always found other peoples culture or religion fascinating. From a scholarly side. 

"What are we looking for?" Landslide asked after a beem of silence. If he knew he could spot it, he and his team were normally the first to enter any new place. It helped to know what he was looking for. 

"A tomb. Of what I was told." Cascade said pulling out a data pad and flipping through her personal notes. A Priestess couldn't remember everything from her random meetings with the outside world. Her day to day was another. Those duties, chants and ceremonies were drilled and repeated into her helm. To the point she could do them overcharged and half in rest mode. 

"Blackclouds tomb. Or so I am to believe, from what she told me." Razorwing supplied his own information making Landslide confused. Was he looking for a tomb of a dead bot or just a tomb ready for a bot that was to die. They were answering questions but not realizing their third party member wasn't up to date with the details. "She was very specific on where she was entombed."

"Wait wait wait. A dead bot spoke to you?" Landslide asked trying to understand. 

"Well in a recharge flux. Gave me the location as well. Freeky flux I tell you. Between the weird clouded darkness and the light source from nowhere, she popped out of nowhere muttering about falling and doing things." Razorwing shook his helm still not believing it actually happened. Still not understanding most of it himself. 

"Ok." Landslide said slowly not sure what to make of any of it. Either he really had the flux like that or he was just starved out of his cpu, and just had crazy hunger induced visions. 

"I know crazy sounding. But I never seen the portrait of the femme until after I had that crazy flux." Razorwing gestured vaguely towards the air trying to justify his craziness. Cascade pulled her data pad showing of a digital photo of the actual femme in question.

Landslide leaned in taking a closer look. She was an angry looking seeker. But something about her optics sent chills down his spinal strut. Landslid felt as if he needed to get away from this femme, far away. "Not the friendliest of seekers, Is she?" He hummed and shifted up quickly. Razorwing gave a shrug while Cascade gave a giggle. Landslide stood wanting a bit of space right now. At least from these two. Something was off about them, mostly the air around them. It was charged with dark energy, unfriendly but weirdly welcoming. "Have a good recharge." He muttered quickly before dashing off. This was going to be quite an adventure, he could feel it. Landslide wasn't sure if it was going to end up with a bad or a good ending. 

!@#$%^&**^%$#@!

The weird red glowing crystals at the end of the giant plateau were placed with two large pillars in front of what appeared to be a large entryway. The Crystal's snaked up the pillars and congregated on the top like two angry porcupines. 

The entryway was blocked off with rubble that clearly had been the roof segment from the structure to the pillars, now laying about blocking any movement forward. The older of the explorer bots grumbled about having to dig, he was old and not a construction bot. But the state of the art vehicle had a large enough antigrav system that clearing it wouldn't take much time. So they all settled in for the wait, and making home base. Who knew how big the inside actually was, especially since it looked like the entrance had been carved into a rock face. An architect started doing measurements right away, mumbling numbers to himself as the small crew of designated diggers began to slowly, carefully, open the entrance. 

The inside was dark, and covered in thick layers of fine dust, everyone was going to need a filter change after this trek down. Small notches on the side of the wall, on long hallway inward, indicated that a light source was once placed there but now over crowded with the red crystals. Notes were put down as well as pics. All documenting this interesting and new find. As was requested by Unicrons Forge. 

At the end of the hallway it spilt into three directions. Continue straight in, left or right. No one could decide which way. Too many option and not enough time, and heading the wrong direction would not yield results, just failure. No bot there wanted to find out what would happen to them if they failed Unicrons people. It was a collective shiver that the bots around each other realised that they were thinking the same thing. 

Razorwing, in the back of the group, along with the Priestess, stepped into the dark place and instantly felt the tug, like someone was leading him by his frame. He hesitated at first but the reassuring smile of Cascade, she seeming to feel it too, made him move forward. He slowed as he approached the arguing group, then stopped. He felt the tug to go forward, not bother with turning, he may have been a seeker, bigger than some of the bots here, but he didn't have the authoritative attribute most of his fellow fliers had. 

Cascade cleared her intakes loudly, all noise stopped and bots blinked at her. "We continue in." She gestured to the straight path. Some bots looked back at it, quite not sure about it. 

"Butt.." Landslide started. 

"Unicron dictates our path from now on. This...this is his domain, he was welcomed here by a devotee." She sounded very much like she believed in what she was saying. A bit creepy, but understandable. The bots grumbled but stumbled on, who were they to argue with bots that were paying them. "Come now Hunter. Grow some ball bearings." Cascade joked with Rasorwing lightly letting him know she ment that in a friendly way but also a push. Rasorwing sighed and trudged on, hoping this place wouldn't offline him in some horrible way. 

As they trudged through the darkness with lights facing foward they talks amongst each other to estimate how old this, what ever it was, was. Sizing Crystal's was easy, but then they didn't know these particular ones so well so they knew they couldn't go by them entirely. Carved in glyphs was the other option but so far the wall were bare, or simply had eroded away over time. 

The team of twenty or so bots halted coming up to a another blockade of rocks. One could just spot the mosaic piece on the far wall, as well as a corner piece of a massive door. Slowly and carefully, they began moving rocks by hand, the exploration vehicle was being fetched. It was going to fit easilly in the massive hallway they had been walking down. Who ever made this place, wanted it to be grand. A show of wealth and or power. Landslide wouldn't beable to guess until they got through. He gestured for the priestess and the seeker to go back with the mech, who was getting the exploration vehicle, and wait till they were done. 

Rasorwing sighed and settled down onto a rock, he didn't know that it would take this much effort and time to go exploring. He stretched his legs out and wiggled his wings to at least get some energon flowing through them as he sat around waiting. 

Cascade giggled as his wings twitched up and down. He looked like a youngling flier getting excited about an incoming storm. Rasorwing cleared his intake and sat up again stilling his wings. Feeling a bit foolish. "This is exciting!" Cascade said as she scooted closer towards the seeker. 

"Exciting? We are sitting down, doing nothing." Rasorwing couldn't help but chuckle. 

"Well there is that. But we are about to enter the first ever found tomb of a devoted Unicron follower."

"None were found before?"

"None had the massive empire that this one flier managed to make. Of what I read she had…" Cascade pulled her data pad out scrolling and pushing buttons before giving a hum of finding. "Three hundred fliers. And four hundred ground frames. They must have built this." She looked around. "Or at least this resting place. Strange that no other buildings are about, considering the numbers." Rasorwing looked around trying to picture those number of bots around, going about their cycle. It felt and looked barren, where were the other buildings. Housing even, it was just a massive plateau, flat-ish but ever expansive with one large red building all the way at the back. 

"Cascade, may I ask you something?" Rasorwing said wanting to shift topics from this dark cavern. The Priestess nodded in encouragement. "I understand what your tittle means… but not exactly what you do."

"Ah! I get that question alot more then you may think. How about I simply talk about the ranking structure of the Forge of Unicron, that may help you understand us a bit better?" She offered. Seeing the shy nodd as well as knowing they deffinatly had time she might as well.   
"Let's start with the lower ranking and head up. If you have any questions don't be afraid to interrupt and ask. It will be alot of details." With an alright promise from the seeker Cascade dived in. 

"The lowest rank, but not like part of the Forge system are fallowers. They come to our version of mass, pray and read our holy script called the The Carvings. They don't work within the Forge just simply come when they need guidance, help or for holidays." Cascade took a second to see if Razorwing had any questions. Finding none she moved on. 

"Next rank is Usher. They are the bots who just entered Unicrons Forge in a more devoted way than a fallower. They live in the Forge but in the lower parts. There they help with cleaning, taking care of artifacts, serving energon. They start to learn a more indepth version of The Carvings and the ceremonies that go with them. Though they don't participate in the major holiday ceremonies or the right of Energon."

"Roght of Energon?" Razorwing cut in confused. 

"I'll get to that later. But its done by the highest ranks at the Forge. Ok… next rank up from there is Solitude. They are the guards of the place. You'll see them in the important era's of the Forge, when a high ranking member is about or we are having an open gate day for the rest of cybertron to come and learn. They are required to know The Carvings and ceremonies as well but they dont get any more devoted then that. The gate keeper, the bot that let you though, his rank is Solitude." Razor wing nodded in understanding. It was easy to understand. Each rank had its purpose within the Forge. 

"Ok. Now this is the part it starts to get complicated. We have Priestess. My rank, but there a different kinds. Each subtitle of a Priestess lets you know what part of the Forge she works for. Basics in all of us. We know the script and ceremonies really well. Like to the point we can be half asleep, totally drunk and still be able to do the ceremonies backwards."

"Woah!"

"Vrons and vrons of work. I assure you. My subtitle is Reacher. My full tittle is this. Priestess Reacher Cascade. First rank, subtitle and then our given designation. That way you know. Who you are talking to and what the Priestess does."

"Reacher?"

"Ah. Reacher is the Priestess who goes out and reaches out to bots who may need or want to to join Unicrons Forge. We are also in charge of any exploration in the name of the Forge. For we 'reach out.'" Cascade giggled at her joke. Razorwing couldn't help but join do to the fact it was such horrible a horrible joke. 

"I know. I know. It's so horrible that you have to laugh."

"It was! " razorwing could help but continue to laugh. He settled down after a while whipping away coolant front his optics. 

"Ok. Other subtitles. Professor, Ceremonial and Guider. Professors teach the fallowets, Ushers and Solitudes in the way of the script. Ceremonial know when, how and why we do certain ceremonies. And Guiders. They guide a spark back to Unicrons side." Cascade shrugged on the last one. She hadn't had anyone really tell her what exactly those Priestess do. She hadn't even met one yet. Which was strange but she learned long ago not to question silly things like that. 

"Alright. Then the Rank above mine is Head Priestess. She is in charge of us lot. She makes sure wer are doing our assigned jobs. As well as handle any unusual situations that come up that a priestess couldnt handle. She also speaks with the other Forges and makes sure we are all on the same page, for ceremonies or bot counts within the forge."

"Lots of paper work?"

"Of what my head Priestess complains about? Yes. Alot. Glad I don't have to do that. I don't plan on becoming a head Priestess. Way too much for me to juggle. Sometimes I can nearly keep up with my own duties." Cascade confessed.

"I'm sure alot of jobs are like that."

"We don't get paid. But I see can understand what you mean."

"Wait...you dont paid! The priests and priestesses at the temple of Primus do!"

"No we don't. Unlike them. We dont demand funds from bots to get closer to our vod. The government already covers everything we need, energon and the building. Everything else is from hard work or donations that aren't forced."

"That's… very different. In a good way."

"Thank you. And then we outside the Forge ranks."

"Like mine?"

"Yes. Hunter. Which you already know. And Devotee. That rank is for bots who get direct.. quests is the best word I can come up with, from Unicron himself. Devotees send Hunters out when they themselves can't. "

"Just two?"

"Yup. Just those two. Both in the service of Unicrons Forge. Both tied together because they kind of so the same thing only Devotees actually get visions, or signs from Unicron as you get yours from Devotees."

"It sound simple. But I guess once everything is put into practice it can get hectic." Rasorwing flicked his wings in thought. "I don't have to go to those...uh gatherings?"

"If you don't want to. You are welcome to try one out and see if it's something you wish to pursue. No ones going to force you to come or do something you don't want."

"Except a Head Priestess." He half joked. 

"Yeah. Head Priestess Highfrost is actually notorious for that. Don't take it to spark. She once got another Head Priestess to find a relic even though it was an Ushers job." Cascade chuckled. Rasorwing was glad he wasn't alone in getting tasked with something he didn't realize he was doing until he had already agreed and began. A sudden boom and a small rattle was hurd within the tunnel. Cascade was up on her peds racing into the place praying that no one or anything was damaged. 

The excavations team Manager to break though the collapse part before releasing that a column teetered on its side right behind it all, only to slide down and smash against the ground raising dust everywhere. 

"Anyone hurt!" The Kalis Priestess voice came from behind them as well as her ped falls. 

"We're all good." Someone replied as all waved their servos in front of their faceplates to clear the dust away. As the dusk cleared one could spot a glowing wall, completely covered in glyphs. They weren't placed in any particular order. Just mashed around one an other. Curious a bot stepped in but stopped just as he past the threshold. Something ominous was here and it set his spark spitting fast. Another dared to come in and start looking around with hesitation. The room took a weird sideways rectangled shape. The place would have been so dark that even the industrial lights the explorers brought wouldn't have lighten the room enough, but the wall of blue glyphs helped light the room up. Considering it spanned the entire back wall. The bot gasped as he looked towards his right, further into the massive room And landed his optics on a bot on a raise dias towers the back. 

Long grey plaited legs sat crossed at the ankle; against a light metallic grey throne like chair. The waist was not visible do to the long protruding spears that came out of the shins and stopped right under a nicely rounded chassis. The chassy was supported by a thin waist with black stripes, clearly painted after the frames death, leading from the back and thinking out towards the hip plates. Two thin and elegant arms rested on arm rests. Long pointy fingers circled around a small bump that was grooved into the grey metallic chair for that one purpose.

The face and upper part of the chassie was hidden behind a dark vale and other metal tubes and pipes. The throne was rested on a large Dias, that had fifteen or so steps leading up to it. Overall it seemed to be a horribly placed chair to sit in. Especially at the center of a large bottomless pit that surrounds the spot. 

"Hey Flashstart. Think you can translate any of those glyphs?" Another bot asked as he head over to the massive wall of blue glowing writings. Another joined him in a hurry wanting to see if he could translate anything. He was slim in design but held no real speed like most speeders were. He was mostly white except for a stripe of light blue going from his left hip up to his right shoulder. No one in the group asked him as to why was painted himself like that, rumored had it was a touchy subject. 

Flashstart hummed trying to find glyphs he recognize. He was the ancient linguistic with the team, but that didn't mean he knew every old form of cybertron. "Let's see. Ah!" He snapped finding some glyphs he recognized. 

"Alive as you but without breath,  
As cold in life as in my death.   
It comes with touch and ends with hate,   
you can't escape the shadows fate."

Flashstart said slowly as he translated and realized what he was spewing out. "Oh my! Quite the dark poem to place on a… tomb?" Flashstart looked over at the frame on the dias as he said the last part, not sure what this place was just yet. 

"That isn't a poem. It's an old part of The Carving. Old enough we have stopped reading it to our followers. Most of it is a jumbled mess of bad translation or it always turns out rather disterbing or foreboding sounding if they are translated correctly." Cascade put in her knowledge of her religion having recognized that particular wording. 

"How bad is that part?" Flashstart asked curious as well as freaked out. 

"Bad? Not bad. Its just...hmm.." Cadence hummed trying to figure out the right words. "Its the part of our script that is way out of date. We don't do sacrifices anymore. Well not with bots at least."

"Bots?" Razorwing asked in a squeak. Surely he miss heard. 

"Thousands of vrons ago. Unicrons followers used to sacrifices other bots. Now we do animals, and only that. It's all gentle too. The animals we get are in no shape to live on or considered too dangerous for what every place or bots. But we don't just stab away. The animal is placed put down first before we do."

"About being that long ago. These glyphs actually have not been here for long." Flashstart said twiddling his servos together nervously. 

"Considering that this is a devotee of Unicrons I'm not surprised to find the holy script on the wall." Cascade said coming over to Flashstarts side and looking over the glyphs. "Ah. Here. These glyphs are from around that time period. I recognize that specific one meaning Unicron." She pointed to a circular shape with to lines coming out of the top like it had horns. 

"Wow." Flashstart said leaning in to see it better. "I'm impressed that you know so much."

"It's part of the training. " Cascade shrugged before turning her helm to the right to see further into the room. "And there she is. Our devotee Blackcloud." Cascade disengaged from the wall to make her way over to the bottoms stairs of the dias. "Devotee of Unicrons, Blackcloud, it is good to have you back with us." Cascade gave a formal bow. 

"You realize that's she's … dead right?" Some bot asked behind her. 

"Yes. It's just a show of respect to the frame. I don't want to appear like a thief or ungrateful of her service to Unicron." Cascade made her way up the stairs slowly, worried that it would collapse at any moment. It looked like most of it already had. This must have been one beautiful dias for the seeker, it now layed at the bottom of a very deep and dark fall. Cascade slowly kneeled by trying to make sure it was who they were looking for. 

"So we found.. whoem ever. Now what?" Flashstart asked as he too made his way over.

"That's up to Hunter Razorwing." Cascade made a brief glance at the seekers direction. 

"I'm just as baffled as you. I was asked to find, so I did." He slowly made his way to the bottom of the stairs and then stopped. "You want me to lift her up or something?"

"Dont seekers have that weird ritual of clothing the dead to the sky?" A culture studies bot, Scripter, asked trying to figure out what to do as well. 

"That depends. Where is the seeker from?" Rasorwing asked turning towards Scripter. 

"Oh! Theres a difference for each?"

"Yeah. I'm not from Vos. Their culture is different from mine."

"I know Vos citizens would fly a on they to death to a dead bots frame up into the sky sky they die flying. Its quiet a sight to see, sarrow filled but a lovely way for a flier to go. Where are from and what is your bots take on that?"

"I'm from a small settlement outside of Polyhex. Our customer is to leave to bot facing the sky as they depart. After that we use what we can from the frame."

"You use pieces from the frame?" Flashstart asked shocked and rather revolted. 

"Yeah. We are a very poor small town, we use what we can. Everybot knows that your frame will be disassembled after death and we have a verbal agreement with anyone who departs about using their frame. The only time we hadn't was when a plague came through the town, we were lucky for one death. Verbal agreement for that one was not to use it, in fear of spreading that plague again."

"Didn't Polyhex send help?"

"No. We are some unnamed blip on their map. I doubt the city will worry about some two hundred bots that are so poor they cannibalize dead frames."

"You have a point. But we digress." Cascade said feeling rather sorry for Razorwing. No wonder he left his town, didn't help but at least he was able to travel. "I think hints best to bring Blackcloud up to one of the Unicron Forges to be properly entombed." The pots muttered, kind of, in agreement. Who were they to argue with a Priestess. "Razorwing, would you help? Perhaps it would be best we did the first part before the others take over." It made sence to have the two Unicrons favored take the Devotee of the dias and then hand them over to the bots who are used to handle the shipment of important but fragile artifacts. 

Razorwing gave a little sigh and joined Cascade on the dias slowly. Gently he helped Cascade make the frame stand once that was settled the rooms back wall flickered off then back on but this time in a dark purple glow. Everybot freezed as this happened wondering of they set off a trap of some sort. 

The arm beneath Razorwings servo twitched making him startle and let go in shock. Cascade seemed to have had the same thing happen for she had backed off as well, looking more startled than Razorwing. The frame remained standing though. A feat for a departed, dust collected shrunken frame. And then it twitched again, the lowered wings slowly rose as the optics powered on. The bot started screaming in shock and fright, who wouldn't when a formally deceased frame powers up. 

"Hushhhhhh." The frame hissed which did silence the bots bellow, one even had a cpu crash, but no one moved to help the bot up. 

"Devotee Blackcloud?" Cascades voice was steady even though she herself was actually quite frightened of what was happening. 

"Sooo….clossse." the frame shifted its helm towards Cascade and gave a crooked grin. Cascade took a step back not sure what that meant. "I'm far more...impooortant." 

"Unicron!" Cascade fell to her knees not only in shock but devotion. The other bots started backing away. Surely this was all a joke, it had to be. Gods didn't visit bots like this. 

"Sstand little Priestesssss. Such devotion isn't necessssary." The frame did a jerky movement as it turned towards Razoreing. Completely ignoring the bots bellow, after all they weren't his followers or anyone doing a task for him. "Now Sssseeker. I have a task for youuu." Razoreing could only nod, too scared to do much else, his frame slightly rattled as he stood there in front of a dead bots frame that Unicron was using to speak through. "A ssspark will be brought to a priiiime. Those foooolishhhh creators can't blessss me away." He laughed. "Take that ssspark and give it a new home." 

"But!" Razorwing started. He couldn't just steel a sparkling. He could barely take care of himself and now he was told to take care of one. He had no home, no job. He wasn't equities to take of a sparkling. It was asking alot. 

"Do asss asked Ssseker. All will faaall into place." With that the frames light went out and it collapsed to the floor in a clattering mess. Razorwing just stood there stareing not believing his optics or his hearing components.

"'Well. That explains a lot." Cascade said getting from her knees. 

"That explains absolutely nothing!" Flashstart said throwing his servos into the air exasperated. "That was crazy! Freeky, unreal and downright scary as frag!"

"I was expecting… energon to flow or something like that." Razorwing said sitting down to get his barings. 

"We are doing Unicron a favor. Well you are. But it's a bid deal. I doubt he'd want to scare you away." Cascade settled by him hoping her field and closeness will help calm the seeker down. 

"Then why make me dig all the way here?" 

"Unicron… of what I've read, Unicron seems to only speak though his Devotees when he wants something done. And this was the last one we had.. I wonder why." Cascade shook her helm. This wasn't the time to thing about this. "Alright let's pack her up and we can head back up." With that everyone started moving, a little slow at first, all still in quite a shock.


	3. Little Spark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so sorry it took so long to get this chapter up. I hade a complete schedule change for work and now I work over night instead of during to day. 
> 
> I got what I wanted into the chapter but left somethings out that will need explaing later. 
> 
> Thanks for reading

As the bots moved out and started packing up Cascade pulled Razorwing off to the side. "There are two more ranks I haven't told you about." She trailed off leaving Razorwing to realise that something about those two were very important and he will be dealing with the plenty. "Second most to the top… the title is called Guardian. They take care of the highest ranking bot. If that bot is not an adult frame yet the Guardian has ruling over everything."

"That makes a little sense but I guess it would make better if I knew the top." Razorwing held his intake in nervousness as Cascade gave a nod.

"Fidus Achates. Or Achates for short if not being overly formal. Then there are those who don't know the actual name and call that bot the Mate of Unicron. Those titles are the same."

"What!?" Razorwing said slowly not really comprehending what he was told. 

"The Achates is Unicrons chosen partner here in this living world. Their word is law at the forges. The bot represents everything and anything Unicron wants done or said. Like the title Prime. Just as much reverence but Unicrons style. The Guardian is the bot who takes care of that chosen one in their youngling days. Once the Achates reaches adult stage the Guardians role changes to simply helping in everyday things." Cascade gave a pause. "I'm not sure specifically because that last Achates we had was seven hundred vrons before Blackcloud. So its a mystery to us Priestess. I'm sure the head priestess has a better understanding." Cascade hoped.

"And you're telling me this, even though these two don't exists, why?"

"Because I have a feeling… that that spark you are tasked to look over is the new Achates." Razorwing shuttered his optics in surprise and then quickly thought it over. It did make sense if you contacted the dots.

"Frag." Was all he managed to say before passing out in shock. 

!@#$%^&*&^%$#@!

Head Priestess Highfrost stood at the bottom stairs of Primuses Temple looking at the white and gold building with a palatable distain. Bots milled in and out as Priestess and Priests did their duties. But she could see the fakeness of it all, the bots visiting only did so when desperate or in fear of defying their holy God. The workers there made sure to put that fear and take the hard owned credits from their followers. None went to where those credits were really needed. 

She took a glance behind her finding the Hunter of the group, Rasorwing, looking at the place with as much disdain as her. Though his was personal experience from their disdain of his frame time. This time they couldn't deny him access, he was with another religious sect and by law no other religious sect could throw another out. 

The bots moving about gave the group of two a wide berth seeming to feel Unicrons presents with them. As well as the fact a bot was covered in dark robes was a strange sight anywhere. With a fortifying cycle of air the Priestess adjusted her massive dark grey robes etched in gold so she could walk up the ridiculous amount of stairs. Razorwing was at her side quickly offering help as best he could, though he was waved away with a calm no thank you. 

Once at the top the head priest greeted them with a tight smile and a light bow that he didn't receive in kind. "Head Priestess of Ankmor Forge. What brings you here?" The priest was worried that something sinister was bound to happen if he let these two blasphemous bots in, so he would stand and stall these two till the Prime inside left. 

"I have business with your Prime." She spoke calmly though her voice took on a weird edge that even made Razorwing nervous. And he knew she was on his side. The priest shuttered his optics surprised that the priestess even knew that the prime was visiting today. No bot was actually told. There was a private matter being handled.. He squinted at them suspiciously. 

"That is not possible. He's in a meeting."

"Don't give me the round about Roadline. His meeting is the reason I am here. He won't be able to help that spark."

"How!!!" The priest snarled "I am a priest. Don't throw my designation out so casually and secondly no one knows about that! Do you have spies!"

"As if the forge would stoop so low." Highfrost snorted and rolled her optics. "We aren't you. We have unicron, and he at least bothers to speak to his followers. Now let us through!"

"He can't-"

"Hes part of the forge." Highfrost snarled back quietly and pushed past the mech getting tired of his stalling. She had been curtiouse and was denied so she refused to play nice anymore. 

The inside was massive white metal, filled with depictions of Primes doing Primuses work. The place had a subdued murmur as bots quietly said their prayers, Highfrost knew they wouldn't be answered. Their God had abandoned them and yet they sadly clung to the notion of his existence. She easily guided Razorwing to the front of a side section where a rather large bot stood before two ground frames and a priest. 

The largest of the bots was clearly a prime. Rasorwing could feel it in his field and the way the mech held himself. The prime was holding a small smarkling, clearly the creation of the two ground frames, though small triangular nubs waved about on its back, an indication wings were forming. But that wasn't the most startling feature on the sparklings frame, it wasn't subtle on its chassie. Rather big for something being on such small frame. It was a line going a cross and two slightly circular arrows pointing down. One arrow was longer than the other but not by much. 

The sparkling was making uncomfortable faces at the Prime as he held it and was clearly blessing it. The creator and carrier were watching with hope in their optics as their small but fussy sparkling was being blessed. They needed whatever that symbol meant off her chassie so she could join the world around her without facing ridicule. 

"You won't be able to help Prime." Highfrost interrupted the primes chant. The prime looked up from his current charge and his optics widened in shock. A Priestess of Unicrons Forge was coming towards him with a lackey at her back. It was practically unheard of the two religions ever meeting willingly.

"And you know this?" His deep voice rumbled around them as he handed the creation back to its rightful caretakers. 

"Unicron is informative." She replied. It was an answer that left only more questions but this prime seemed to know he wouldn't receive them even if asked. 

"I see." He replied simply. To the ones gathered watching the exchanged it seemed as if their Prime knew what the Priestess was talking about but the two in high positions in their respective religions knew better. 

"No prayers of yours will get rid of Unicrons mark from that frame." The creator gasped and held her sparkling closer worried by that simple sentence. 

"You believe she is lost."

"She's hardly lost Prime. Just simply in the wrong place. Our forge is better equipped, religiously, to handle this situation. You… will only make it worse for her."

"He is a Prime!" The creator started his rant. "They do not harm. Primus knows what you do!"

"She was clearly uncomfortable with the prayers your Prime was offering. She is young but she knows spark deep that it was not what she wanted." Highfrost interrupted him. 

"What...what is this symbol?" The carrier asked quietly, cutting into what all could see would become a heated religious and who had rights debate. 

"It's an old symbol that isn't used anymore. It means death." The prime put in his piece. "I fear she's destined to die. But considering that Unicrons forge High Priestess is here it seems it means something else."

"It was the symbol normally used for Unicron because back in the really old days uttering his designation or even writing it was to bring misfortune and death to oneself or those around you." Highfrost gave her own tidbit of ancient culture. The couple turned to one another as they spoke privately through their bond. They had to decide who they believed more. "We only came to help."

"Help?" The creator snorted in disbelief. 

"Love…" his bond mate said with a sigh. "We don't have many options left. What if they can help?" They said nothing for a bit, clearly speaking though their bond again. "Just once." The carrier assured before stepping towards the High Priestess who quickly shot her arms up and backing up a bit. 

"I'm sorry. I can't hold her. It's… a old rule that I can not break. Hence why he's here. He'll be gentle, I promise. No better to hold a winged sparkling than a flier." She tried to assure the carrier and creator the best she could. Razorwing stepped forward, by now knowing he just had to go with the flow and let the carrier deposit her squirming sparkling into his waiting arms. 

The femme, clearly already stated, was young enough that her coloring hadn't even started coming through. She held still in the new arms, field and spark pulse before letting out a delighted whistle and began wiggling about so she could get closer to this new spark. 

"Look at that. She's taken quite a shine to you Razorwing." Highfrost said giving a warm smile before raising her servos from underneath her robes and placed them on the helm and chassie. "A new spark, a new path. Will you lead or will you follow, unravel in the presences as show me." Highfrosts voice sounded like several bots speaking at once as she muttered the mantra over and over before her optics glassed over into a weird grey. The Priest with them gasped and muttered about a seer before Highfrosts optics returned to her usual color. She backed away as if to get her herself but lowered herself to her knees.

"Priestess!" The carrier said worried that the older femme was running out of energy. Razorwing could see that the High Priestess was fine intact she was simply kneeling in respect and reverence. It seemed that Priestess Cascade had been right, this was the new Fidus Achates. And he was simply standing there, in Primuses temple, holding her. Not that he would kneel as well. He didn't believe in Unicorn...but, things were changing and just maybe he could give thanks for the help. 

"She's alright." Rasorwing said after a few nano clicks of the Highfrost not answering. She was too busy thanking Unicron for this opertunity. "Just Praying."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I guess that leaves me to explain what just happened at the best of my understanding and ability."

"So you don't know." The creator said watching the Priestess in distrust. 

"I don't know everything...but I understand what is happening now." Rasorwing said as he watched the femling cling to one of the seams of his cockpit and start to nod off. "It's going to sound crazy…."

"Just get on with it." The creator snapped. 

"Patients, let this...Follower explain." The Primes voice floated in. Razorwing nearly forgot he was still standing there watching everything that had happened. 

"Oh...I'm not a Follower…"

"Forgive me. I never received your title." The prime was being diplomatic. He didn't want to start a religious war, it would be quiet an stupid thing to do.

"Matters not." Razorwing said not wanting to explain how he suddenly had a title in Unocrons Forge when he himself didn't fully believe. "Your creation wasn't...being cursed by Unicron. Apparently she's been blessed…"

"Some blessing! Nothing but trouble since she emerged!" 

"Push!" The cardier said shocked at the creators harsh words. Clearly the couple was at different ends in this point in life. 

"It's true! Don't deny it. If she's so much better with your energon thirsty God than have her!" He snarled flinging his arms out in a get rid of it manner. 

"You are giving up on your sparkling." The Prime said surprised stepping forward to hopefully change this mechs mind as well as console the already in tears carrier. 

"Between the miracle of conceiving, the emergence day bill and that weird symbol! I had enough!" The carrier was sobbing now. Clearly upset that her bondmate would want to get rid of their sparkling. "If you want her Clearblast. Take care of her yourself!" Those were the options the carrier was given before the he stomped away. It was clear that their bonding was strained, and adding a sparkling in the mix apparently made the relationship worse. 

"I am sorry." The prime said trying to sooth the greeting and distraught carrier. 

"If you are not able to care for her you are welcome to join us at the forge." High Priestess Highfrost apparently had finished her prayers and once more brought herself into the matter. 

"No! I can't go there…" Cloudblast said quickly before realizing that that could have been taken as beig rude. Especially after being offered a haven for her and the sparkling. "I mean.."

"It's alright. If you really can't take care of her. Adoption is avaible as well as simply leaving her with the Forge."

"But!!" The carrier clearly worried for the health and future of her little one. 

"This wouldn't be our first take in. Nor our last. Just like this temple, we will help as best we can. But your little one needs to be with the forge. That symbol will not go away." Highfrost tried to explain the best she could. "She'll have a wonderful life with you there or not. That is up to you. I certainly did." 

"You grew up at...Unicrons Forge?" Clearblast asked surprised to hear about it. But also relaxing. If this well spoken, clearly educated femme came from the forge, then she shouldn't be worrying horribly. 

"Yes. My carrier had me out of bonding and the Forge was the closest and only place she could take me. According to the priestess, she simply handed me over. Thanked them and disappeared. But I had a good sparklinghood."

"And education…."

"The forge likes productive members inside and/or the forge. When I reached my adult frame I got the choice of staying on at the temple of venture out into the world. I stayed. But a friend of mine ventured out."

"That friend doing ok?" Clearblast asked worried.

"More than ok!" Highfrost chuckled. "He has his latest hit at the top of the charts. He's a musician." She smiled fondly. "But… please take your time on the decision. Understand that if you do give her up you are still welcome to see her. We will not keep you from her." 

"Thank you. Please give me a bit." She looked towards the prime clearly indicating that she wished to speak with him in private. With that Highfrost gave a nod in understanding and made her way to the front of the temple. 

@#$%^&*&^%$#@!

Razorwing stood at the gates of Unicrons forge of Ankmor once more. Though this time around it was mid-day, he was easily welcomed in and he was holding a sparkling. 

The last part left him baffled but here he was stepping in with a recharging sparkling as many of the more devote followers all gathered there to welcome the new life into their fold. 

The carrier had sadly givin the sparkling up to the forge. She had spoken to the prime at length before slowly making her way over to them both. Her optics already sheding more coolant tears as she clutched her sparkling to her chassie one last time. "With love I give you up." She had said as Razorwing excepted the tiny bundle, he himself nearly misted over at her sarow filled words. Apparently the Temple of Primus would simply put the femme in the foster system until she had gotten adopted. But that symbol would have given her a lot of trouble not only growing up but getting adopted. The Prime had agreed, hesitantly, it was the best option the femme had for a good life. 

"Everyone!" Highfrost said as the doors were closed behind the three. The room went silent fast. "We welcome a new spark to our fold. Be gentle, be kind and help. For we are now raising our Fidus Achates." There were whispers of excitement though out the hall once the title was said. "As you know, she is head of the forge. But far too young to make decisions. Razorwing, our hunter, has stepped forward to raise her." Razorwing had said no such things. Highfrost was up to her tricks already. She definitely was a High Priestess of Unicron for that quick manipulation. 

"We thank you for your devoted service Guardian." The mass said at once. Razorwing sighed, his title had changed. He wasn't sure if he liked this promotion at all. He had no clue how to take care of a sparkling. With that everyone bustled away to continue their duties. 

Razorwing looked down at the sleeping form in his arms. Very little, vulnerable and cute. She yawned and then kicked in her sleep before settling once more. He couldn't help but give a small smile. 

"Forgive my interruption Guardian." A mechs voice brought him back to the outside world. Razorwing inhaled sharply and gave a slight step back in surprise on how close the bot had gotten to him. It also didn't help that he was massive and clearly a former gladiator from Koan. Razorwings helm scraped just under the mechs shoulder. He was all black in color, scars and scrapes littered his frame. His optics were red giving him a rather menacing appearance off the bat. The mech quickly stepped back realizing he had startled the seeker in front of him. "I'm sorry." He quickly apologized before settled a bit further back so the new Guardian had some space. "I am Solitude Grideblocker. I am in charge of yours and Achates safety." So the bot simply wanted to introduce himself. "And when she's older I will simply be her guard but not yours." Well it did make sense. He wouldn't be as important once she was all grown up.

"Solitude… ah! The guards." Razorwing nodded his helm having had think about the title. "Hello then." Razorwing said after a click of trying to figure out what to say. 

"You are being moved from your current spot to a new one within the temple."

"Yeah… that room wouldn't be big enough for a crib and a berth." 

"Let me escort you to the new spot." It was fraised as a question but Razorwing could read the tone behind the words. Solitude Gridblocker didn't want Razorwing out and about the temple with the newly acquired Achate so soon. 

"Sure." Razorwing agreed to it. He wanted to rest and think about things anyway. With a simple shift of Gridblockers helm to indicate to fallow they were off. The breem or so journey, deeper and surprisingly higher into the forge was silent between the two mechs. Razorwing never felt more awkward, other than walking in on his carrier and creator getting it on. 

The room seemed to be halfway up the tower. It had the dull silver grey walls but about seven times bigger. He had an entry sitting area. One berthroom for himself and another for the sparkling. His berthroom had a plush berth with flowing covers. A small bookshelf filled with data pads and one small basket filled with sparkling,n youngling and education toys. 

There was a small kitchenette so he could fule by himself now and make energon for the sparkling. A rather large cleansing area that razorwing was actually looking forward to useing it so he could clean up and relax. An upgrade from his last resting spot. And to top it all off there was a balcony big enough for him to land and take off. It overlooked parts of the city but overall he had the highest room in all of Ankmor. 

Razorwing went to the sparklings room to lay her down for her nap in a beautifully made crib. Depictions of weird creatures and plants, he wasn't sure what it was about but he presumed it had to do with Unicron. When he got back out into the entry sitting area he found Gridblocker standing by the door. Well more like leaning against the frame of it but very much on guard duty. "Do you have to guard us even when in the forge?"

Gridblocker looked at him quickly realising that one of his charges was actually in the same room as him. "Yes." He simply answered. 

"That's ….a little silly."

"Better than guarding the front entrance."

"Oh?"

"Bots throw things at us. They think we are statues till we move and they run of screaming and not apologizing." Clearly this was a slightly sore topic amongst the Solitudes. "But this is the highest honor and job a Solitude can do at the Forge." Grideblocker was proud of himself for being picked to do this job. 

"Do you guys rotate doing this or are you it?"

"I'm it. Do you...find me unsuited?" He was standing quickly seeming to realize something that Razorwing didn't even know what. "I can get somebot else!"

"What!? No! No. If you were chosen then that's that." Grideblocker relaxed after that. Razorwing tilted his helm thinking something over. Just how much power did he have here. Clearly his word wasn't law… unless it just pertained...wait… they never got the sparkling name from the carrier. He glanced back at the room she was laying with a slight frown. He'd have to name her...or unicron… however they worked. 

"Guardian?" Gridblocker asked worried. His voice was close. Razorwing turned back towards him to find Gridblocker hovering over him again. How the big mech moved so quietly and quickly was a mystery to Razorwing. Very startling and unnerving as well.

Razorwing sucked in a startled cycle of air stood and turned to get away. Several vrons on the street left him rather fearful of big mechs in aiding his space. Too many beat downs in back allies left him weary of others. Razorwing could feel the edges of the top of his wongs scrape along armor and realized too late that the bot had been too close and couldn't avoid the slicing he was about to receive.

"I'm so sorry!" Razorwing said before he even finished turning around to check on Gridblocker. He had forgotten about his namesake. The razor sharp wing edges he had. Grideblocker stood there shuttering his optics in surprise. He had felt the scraping at first and then a bloom of pain on his cheek plate. His armor only received scuffs but the majority was at his right cheek plate just where the end of the wing reached. 

Razorwing cursed quietly and quickly pulled out a small clean shamie and pressed it to Grideblockers right cheek plates. "I forgot about that."

"You forgot that you have sharp wing tips?" Gridblocker asked amuzed. It was rather funny. Taken out by a wing, his gladiator buddies would have been a laughing as they picked his frame for parts. 

"Razorwing. Named after the very thing." Razorwing could help but chuckle along as well and chose to ignore the way his engin kicked up a slight gear in excitement of being so close to another bot. Didn't help that he could feel the vibrations of Grideblockers vocals through his arm. According to his creator, even as a sparkling, Razorwing had a thing for voices and their vibrations. Creator joked about because his carrier constantly hummed or sung when she was heavy with him. 

"Properly named. Though they are dull as frag… I mean….Frag… uh…" Gridblocker was trying to figure out the right words to use, he was speaking to the Guardian as if he was friends with the mech. He was way above his status in the Forge. He had to be careful and respectful. He didn't want to be tossed out of the forge. 

"I know. Poor energon intake does that. A few cycles of proper fueling and they'll get sharp again...and everyone will have to avoid my back." Grideblocker relaxed a bit after Razorwing didn't mind his comment. Razorwing slowly lifted the shamie up to see if the leak had stopped, he gave a sigh of relief when finding the repair system had taken care of it quickly. "Still. I am sorry."

"You panicked...I should probably stop scaring you." Grideblocker pointed out.

"Yeah…" Razorwing trailed off not really giving much effort to continue that conversation. Feeling embarrassed. He stood and backed up before turning to get a cube of energon. He had missed mid-day fuel and his tank had started to hurt. "Want some energon?" He called back. 

"No thank you Guardian." So they were back to their roles again, normalcy for a bit. He slowly siped his cube in the kitchenette, it will take a while for him to get used to everything. A wail from the sparkling sounded, make that a really long while. He chugged the rest of the cube before heading over. Gridblocker was already in the room shushing but otherwise not touching. Razorwing will have to ask about that, later. With quick ease he pulled her up and close to his chassie and the wailing stopped. She promptly went back to recharge. 

"You're going to be one of those." Razorwing sighed cradling her better as he moved out into the sitting area. She was a spark searcher, had to have one near her otherwise she's gonna fuss. If he had to have a sparkling glued to his chassie, he might as well be sitting and comfortable. There was a light knock before Highfrosts opened the door and peeked in giving a grin. 

"Wasn't expecting you to be up. But I would like to speak to you." She said as she slid herself in questly so she wouldn't wake the sparkling. 

"I actually have a couple questions of my own."

"Well then, glad I came up here." She slowly sat down and settled herself comfortably in a sitting chair opposite the couch. "I know this is overwhelming, and understand that you will be getting help. But the big decision with her will always fall to you, whether we agree or not." 

"Thank you….I think." Razorwing said after taking in for a click. "We… never recieved a designation for her." He pointed out, making Highfrost shutter her optics in surprise. 

"You're right…" she tapered off thinking about it.."you could designate one or we will ask Unicron."

"Well I can't think of anything.." Razorwing said embarrassed. He shifted in his seat and glanced away from the embarrassments only to realize that Gridblocker was watching them both. He had nearly forgot the bot was there, and now he was awkwardly making optic contact with him. Slowly he shifted his focus back onto the Priestess making sure not to appear like he was staring but just simply thinking into space. 

"I can consult with Unicron in your sted."

"That would be appreciated. I doubt she'll stay down long enough for the consult." Razorwing wasn't even sure what that consult even entitled but he figured something lengthy and overly complicated for no good reason. 

Highfrost gave a nod in understanding. "I fear as such as well. Unicron knows his Fidus Achates better than any of us, he'll have the perfect designation." She stated proudly. "Ther question or questions?"

"Ah! Why… aren't you permitted to touch her?"

"Oh, that's an old rule. Its from a time when bots stole others sparklings when they couldn't have their own. It was to prevent the incident as well as to form attachment. We hold onto the rule only to let unicron know that we will not take his chosen spark away." Well it wasn't what Razorwing was expecting but it made sense. 

"Also. Priestess Reacher Cascade, never got around to explaining the Right of Energon to me. Mostly titles and what their jobs entitled." It had been something that he couldn't get out of his helm. It sounded horrid but he wasn't going to pass judgment till he knew more about it. 

"The Right of Energon is normally done by the highest titles bot within the forge when the forge itself needs to speak to Unicron directly. Normally the Fidus Achates will do that, but since we haven't had one for many of Vrons it fell to us High Priestess. Though we never actually preform it, we know how." Highfrost seemed to be trying to find the correct way to fraise the act as if she was ashamed by it. "We have a..hmm…" she shifted before focusing once more. "In the olden times there would be an actual bot being sacrificed, normally someone the village knew they could live without or had been charged with a horrible crime. Sense we don't preform them anymore we don't have a substitute, I doubt we'd have to pick anything like that up again. We are a peaceful planet." 

"Thank you."

"I know. Alot to take in. During my high priestess training they gave us a whole cycle to think about what we learned before moving on. We contemplate on the actual taking a life or the ramifications it might have on a bots mind when or if they preform that act. Took my three cycles of thinking before I finally realized we moved on with our lesson." She chuckled but it wasn't the fun kind. "I'll go see what Unicron has in store for names for our little one." She stood and gave a respectful nod before heading out leaving Razorwing to think on what he had learned today and to deal with a sparkling who would wake a click later demanding energon with a wail so loud it shattered a vase filled with dark energon crystals.


End file.
